You can tell when someone embraces life and wants to be here. They are a joy to be around. They have a natural ambition toward activities that interest them. They are grateful for opportunities to grow. They don’t take their life for granted. They aren’t afraid to experiment with life. There is a skip in their step.

Likewise, you can tell when someone loves their job and approaches their career with pride and commitment. There is a willingness to dig in and get to work. They have a bigger sense of service in mind. They don’t sweat the small stuff. They aren’t easily offended. They love what they do and are happy to do it.

A commitment to one’s life brings better health, more creative ideas, more life force, more friends, and a sense of belonging.

Conversely, when someone isn’t committed, they may act as if life is happening to them, not for them. Daily chores may feel like a heavy burden. They lack a sense of purpose and so their mind is an open space for lower vibrational thoughts to take hold, such as anger and resentment.

I had a client tell me she used to be suicidal until one day she caught herself feeling afraid of catching Covid. Her fear juxtaposed to thoughts of ending her life made no sense to her. This awareness taught her she was more innately committed to her life than she realized.

A person can have all kinds of good reasons for not feeling safe or to feel uncommitted to their life. I have my own list of grievances that challenge me on this topic. Various fears and trauma plague all of us. Indeed, planet earth can be a scary place to be. Fear and trauma can cause insidious blind spots causing us to feel ready to bolt each time old wounds get triggered. It can be hard to commit. Further confusing us sometimes is knowing to what exactly we are committing.

Have you ever considered your commitment to your life and to your purpose? The universe and your subconscious mind are always listening and responding. You get back from life what you put into it. Many benefits await us once we commit, once we say to ourselves, “I’m all in on this life”. Commitment initiates a virtuous cycle.

There are countless ways to experiment with commitment to your life. Here are a few suggestions for your consideration:

1. Know that you belong here. You are not here by mistake. Wherever you find yourself, in any group or family or job, you are there for a reason. You belong there. Embrace that knowing and take stock in the strengths you bring to the table. Everyone has natural strengths and talents. Commit to figuring out what your strengths are. If you’re unsure, ask trusted friends to point out your strengths. Let your mantra be… I belong here and my strengths are _________________.

2. Whatever you do, commit to doing it with love. Love your job, love being a parent or grandparent, love being whatever it is you are doing right now, even if you are simply holding a vision of someday knowing what you are here to do. Love the journey of discovery. That’s enough. As the Desiderata says, “Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.” Commit to doing your best every day. Love is a choice that you can make no matter what you are doing.

3. Celebrate your current commitments. Maybe you are committed to making your home a beautiful place to be. Maybe you are committed to your health. Maybe you are committed to being a good friend. Maybe you are committed to volunteer services. I tend to commit to concepts and work at them noticing how they change my life, like gratitude, acceptance, not taking things personally, or making sure my perception is accurate. To what specifically are you committed? Has anything ever happened that showed you how committed you actually are?

The more commitment someone has, the more responsibility they assume for their choices, their happiness and how things turn out. Being committed to fully being here has many benefits. Can you be honest with yourself about what aspects of life you feel a lack of commitment? We all have them.

I invite you to put pen to paper on this topic just for your own inquiry. No judgement. Be objective. Only do this when you are in a neutral frame of mind. Be curious.

When a person fully commits to his or her life – we all benefit.